Entertainment

Some heroes wear capes. Others are nerds who call you the eff out when you need it most.

Such is the case for Guillermo del Toro, who quite literally bullied Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón to direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

In the process, he not only gifted fans of the series one of the most artistically daring entries into the movie franchise. He also secured Cuarón's illustrious career in bigger budget Hollywood films at a time when he was still a burgeoning new director for American audiences.

In a Vanity Fair interview, Cuarón said he initially was debating the offer to direct the Warner Bros. movie. He'd gained renown in the industry for his grippingly raw Y Tu Mamá También, so was unsure about taking the leap into more mainstream endeavours.

But then the two Mexican filmmakers discussed their upcoming projects, and Cuarón's account of del Toro's advice is priceless.

Speaking on behalf of Potter fans everywhere, he told Cuarón what was what after he derided the franchise:

“I said, ‘I’m going for ‘Harry Potter,’ can you believe it? And I even made fun of it. I hadn’t read the books or seen the films. And then he looks upset with me. He called me flaco, that means skinny [in English]. He says, 'Fuckin’ skinny, have you read the books?' I said, 'No, I haven’t read the books.' He says, 'Fuckin’ skinny, you’re such a fuckin’ arrogant bastard. You are going right now to the fuckin’ bookshop and get the books and you’re going to read them and you call me right away.'"

If you aren't swelling with pride right now for del Toro's unwavering defense for all things geeky, then you need to get your priorities straight.

When Guillermo del Toro is right, he's RIGHT

Image: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for LACMA

Because the story doesn't even end there.

Cuarón immediately followed del Toro's advice, picking up all four books that had been released at the time. He got all the way up to halfway through Prisoner of Azkaban before conceding to del Toro:

"I called him and said, 'Well the material’s really great.' He says, 'Well, you see you fuckin’ ...' I mean, it’s just untranslatable from the Spanish.... As a filmmaker, it was almost like a lesson of humility, of saying how am I going to do it my own, but at the same time, respecting what has been beloved in those couple of movies?"

Like an epic battle between a true Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, del Toro's raw passion and heart won the debate over Cuarón's more high-minded biases.

And ultimately, taking the opportunity led him to other big studio movies that were more aligned with his artistic vision, like Children of Men. Now, the two friends are regular Oscar nominees and winners.

So I guess the moral of the story is: always listen to your Harry Potter friends — especially when you think you're above it.

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.